Former Vaq held back

Mike McDonald is bottled up by Portland State defense after big opening week.

September 03, 2011|By Andrew Shortall, andrew.shortall@latimes.com

The following are updates on area athletes at the collegiate level.

Mike McDonald (Glendale Community College, 2007) Southern Oregon senior quarterback: The major injury (a broken tibia and fibula) McDonald suffered last year hasn't left him tentative. The junior battled his way from No. 7 to the top of Southern Oregon's depth chart in the offseason, started and was dynamic in its season opener Aug. 27 on the road against Montana Tech.

The former Vaquero couldn't keep up his torrid pace on Saturday in the second game of the season, running into Portland State's stingy defense. The Portland State Vikings shut the Raiders out, holding them to 107 total yards on offense, shutting McDonald down in the process. He completed 11 of his 23 passes for 24 yards, threw an interception and picked up 18 rushing yards on six attempts.

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It was a much different story in Southern Oregon's season opener, as the senior went off and threw for three touchdowns and 316 yards, connecting on 28 of his 40 passes — one of which was intercepted. McDonald ended the game with a pass efficiency rating of 156.11 and also rushed for 42 yards on nine attempts. It wasn't enough to deliver a Raiders victory, as they fell to Montana Tech, 50-47, in double overtime.

McDonald broke a 30-yard run and was pushed out of bounds at the five-yard line with his team down 10 late in the third quarter. He was shaken up on the play and sat out the next two snaps when disaster struck. The Raiders drive came to a screeching halt, on second-and-goal from the 1-yard line, when the team's backup quarterback fumbled the snap and Montana Tech recovered the football. It was one of three turnovers that cost Southern Oregon the game.

Southern Oregon (0-2) has a bye next week and will look to get in the win column in its next game against Willamette on Sept. 17. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Jenna Orlandini (Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, 2009) University of Washington libero redshirt sophomore: Just like any libero should, Orlandini is leading the University of Washington in digs so far this season with 68.

The currently eighth-ranked Huskies are eyeing a trip to the Final Four this year after reaching the Elite Eight in 2010. So far, Washington has been on top of its game, going 5-0 to start the season. Orlandini's squad has only dropped one of its 16 sets to open the year.